doug@xdos.UUCP (Doug "It's A Feature" Merritt) (05/28/89)
In article <18770@cup.portal.com> stephan@cup.portal.com (Stephen Derek Schaem) writes: > > MNITEL NEW?!!! My grand mother has one for 3 years now... And I don't think >their is any server around here(U.S.A). > But if you don't mind calling france, I could try to get you a minitel >emulator so you can hook you amiga to the minitel. Minitel is currently doing a limited experimental beta test in the US. This is pretty old news so by now it would be too late to try to sign up, nor do I recall any real specifics. Note that speaking French is mandatory for Minitel use, however. Doug -- Doug Merritt {pyramid,apple}!xdos!doug Member, Crusaders for a Better Tomorrow Professional Wildeyed Visionary "Welcome to Mars; now go home!" (Seen on a bumper sticker off Phobos)
elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) (05/31/89)
in article <347@xdos.UUCP>, doug@xdos.UUCP (Doug "It's A Feature" Merritt) says: > In article <18770@cup.portal.com> stephan@cup.portal.com (Stephen Derek Schaem) writes: >> MNITEL NEW?!!! My grand mother has one for 3 years now... And I don't think >>their is any server around here(U.S.A). > Minitel is currently doing a limited experimental beta test in the US. > This is pretty old news so by now it would be too late to try to sign > up, nor do I recall any real specifics. Southwest Bell & some company whose name I don't recall are beta'ing a videotext service in Houston and other SWB service areas. This service uses Americanized Minitel equipment. SWB has announced plans to extend the service to the rest of Texas, and to Oklahoma. Coincidentally (?), SWB has now announced that all BBS's in those two states will be charged business rates, because they "provide a service to the public and are therefore a business." Just coincidence, of course. Right? -- Eric Lee Green P.O. Box 92191, Lafayette, LA 70509 ..!{ames,decwrl,mit-eddie,osu-cis}!killer!elg (318)989-9849 "I have seen or heard 'designer of the 68000' attached to so many names that I can only guess that the 68000 was produced by Cecil B. DeMille." -- Bcase
stephan@cup.portal.com (Stephen Derek Schaem) (06/01/89)
Well they tested the minitel more than a year ago at UL and was aproved ( well I think, I don't think the plastic used was mutch of a problem). And Heard that some Compagnie use a the minitel with their own server for a low cost network system.That was a more than a year ago HERE. But do you really think people are going to put that mutch money in it? The minitel was offered FREE by the PPT (french post) here could that happen?
stephan@cup.portal.com (Stephen Derek Schaem) (06/02/89)
Some people used it a year ago here in CA, used has a network system in the compagnie.I wonder if it will have the same inpact here... Having all major newpapers online could take a While!
erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) (06/02/89)
In article <19011@cup.portal.com> stephan@cup.portal.com (Stephen Derek Schaem) writes: > But do you really think people are going to put that mutch money in it? >The minitel was offered FREE by the PPT (french post) here could that >happen? U.S. Videotel and Southwestern Bell Telephone are in a joint venture to bring Minitel to America under a new name. They hope to have 60K subscribers in Houston w/in a year. In Houston, you have an option of using the Minitel terminal (for those people without a computer -- a single tasking computer is like having no computer :-) or getting software for your IBM or MacIntosh. -- "I'm chronically unable to enjoy most formula fiction, be it by Larry Niven, Norman Mailer or Margaret Drabble." -- Michael Moorcock. J. Eric Townsend Inet: <temporarily disabled> 511 Parker #2 Houston,Tx,77007 EastEnders Mailing List: eastender@flatline.UUCP
boucher@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Marc Boucher) (06/05/89)
In article <686@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >U.S. Videotel and Southwestern Bell Telephone are in a joint venture >to bring Minitel to America under a new name. They hope to have >60K subscribers in Houston w/in a year. In Houston, you have >an option of using the Minitel terminal (for those people without >a computer -- a single tasking computer is like having no computer :-) >or getting software for your IBM or MacIntosh. Are you sure that they are using Minitel technology? It's more likely that their Videotex system is NAPLPS based. BTW, The Amiga makes a great NAPLPS terminal, because of its color and resolution. For further info, e-mail me, or roys@iro.umontreal.ca (Sebastien Roy), who is the principal author of the Amiga naplps emulator. >J. Eric Townsend -- Marc Boucher delete ?MS* ; VMS, CMS, MS-DOS Phone: 514/466-8932 AmiNet amimarc!postmaster | Bitnet UUQRL0@POLYTECA UUCP ...!killer!jolnet!boucher | Internet boucher@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US
papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (06/05/89)
In article <867@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> boucher@jolnet.UUCP (Marc Boucher) writes: >In article <686@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >>U.S. Videotel and Southwestern Bell Telephone are in a joint venture >>to bring Minitel to America under a new name. They hope to have >>60K subscribers in Houston w/in a year. In Houston, you have >>an option of using the Minitel terminal (for those people without >>a computer -- a single tasking computer is like having no computer :-) >>or getting software for your IBM or MacIntosh. > > Are you sure that they are using Minitel technology? It's more likely >that their Videotex system is NAPLPS based. The fact that there are a variety of US networks that support the Minitel standard seems to be one very well kept secret :-) Here is a short list: Minitelnet 1-800-822-MNET allows access to the French information services using a Minitel terminal, an IBM PC, Max or Commmodore 64/128. Aline (212)832-8311 [supports PCs, Minitel graphics with Commodore 64 only] CTL Communications (212)979-8553 (supports Commodore Minitel emulator) ECN - Entertainment & Consumer Network (818)242-1483 -- Job Search & electronic publications. Moreover, Southwestern Bell has started distributing portable Minitel terminals whose rental cost is projected to be $10/month. It is also well known (see full page ads in Wall Street Journal) that US West is setting up its own Minitel-based network (we were asked to bid on it). -- Marco Papa 'Doc' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= uucp:...!pollux!papa BIX:papa ARPAnet:pollux!papa@oberon.usc.edu "There's Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Diga!" -- Leo Schwab [quoting Rick Unland] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) (06/05/89)
In article <867@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> boucher@jolnet.UUCP (Marc Boucher) writes: > >In article <686@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >[about Minitel coming to the USA via USV and SWBT.] > Are you sure that they are using Minitel technology? It's more likely >that their Videotex system is NAPLPS based. They're handing out Minitel terminals and people are using the Minitel software from the UK. The terminals are slow and stupid, the graphics are not (in any way) optimized, and the menus are not "hot". It has to be Minitel, it's impossible to reinvent something this lame. :-) -- Grep sed "awk! man cut grep, edit banner false! get help!" Man disable grep, split banner, join prof admin. Grep mount eqn, find path. Grep echo spell. False cat kill admin, man. Grep find banner, make true message. J. Eric Townsend-flatline!erict EastEnders Maillist: eastender@flatline.UUCP
elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) (06/06/89)
in article <867@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US>, boucher@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Marc Boucher) says: > In article <686@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >>U.S. Videotel and Southwestern Bell Telephone are in a joint venture >>to bring Minitel to America under a new name. They hope to have >>60K subscribers in Houston w/in a year. In Houston, you have > Are you sure that they are using Minitel technology? It's more likely > that their Videotex system is NAPLPS based. It's Minitel. The reason is cost. Minitel terminals are made by the millions in France, meaning they're dirt cheap. A SWB person stated that a fully Americanized Minitel terminal costed less than $100. -- Eric Lee Green P.O. Box 92191, Lafayette, LA 70509 ..!{ames,decwrl,mit-eddie,osu-cis}!killer!elg (318)989-9849
boucher@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US (Marc Boucher) (06/06/89)
In article <17613@usc.edu>, Marco Papa writes: > Moreover, Southwestern Bell has started distributing portable Minitel > terminals whose rental cost is projected to be $10/month. Bell Canada is renting cute Naplps terminals for $7.95/month _canadian_ dollars. Their plan is of course not to make any profit renting terminals, instead pushing their service, which is 30 cents/minute (most services, & cdn $). We are also thinking of converting our emulator to some sort of amiga "naplps.device", to be used by any software, much like the console device. You mentionned CTL -- They are on Alex too, offering a "chat" system linked to all of its siblings across France and the U.S. -- Marc Boucher delete ?MS* ; VMS, CMS, MS-DOS Phone: 514/466-8932 AmiNet amimarc!postmaster | Bitnet UUQRL0@POLYTECA UUCP ...!killer!jolnet!boucher | Internet boucher@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US
jdow@gryphon.COM (J. Dow) (06/07/89)
In article <703@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >In article <867@jolnet.ORPK.IL.US> boucher@jolnet.UUCP (Marc Boucher) writes: >> >>In article <686@flatline.UUCP> erict@flatline.UUCP (J. Eric Townsend) writes: >>[about Minitel coming to the USA via USV and SWBT.] > >> Are you sure that they are using Minitel technology? It's more likely >>that their Videotex system is NAPLPS based. > > >They're handing out Minitel terminals and people are using the Minitel >software from the UK. The terminals are slow and stupid, the graphics >are not (in any way) optimized, and the menus are not "hot". > >It has to be Minitel, it's impossible to reinvent something this >lame. :-) >-- >Grep sed "awk! man cut grep, edit banner false! get help!" Man disable >grep, split banner, join prof admin. Grep mount eqn, find path. Grep >echo spell. False cat kill admin, man. Grep find banner, make true message. > >J. Eric Townsend-flatline!erict EastEnders Maillist: eastender@flatline.UUCP I sure wish them all the success in the world. They can have the teenagers and yuppies. I kinda like ! cheaper ! BIX and the currently low noise environment there. I've been worried the new rates would up the noise levels. (I've seen a little but not what I expected.) Perhaps this more expensive but heavily advertised system will keep the noise makers away! -- Sometimes a bird in the hand leaves a sticky deposit. Perhaps it were best it remain there in the bush with the other one. {@_@} jdow on bix (where else?) Sometimes the dragon wins. Sometimes jdow@gryphon.CTS.COM the knight. Does the fair maiden ever {backbone}!gryphon!jdow win? Surely both the knight and dragon stink. Maybe the maiden should suicide? Better yet - she should get an Amiga and quit playing with dragons and knights.